Love Beyond Death
by Rose Lillian Marshall 2
Summary: After a fatal accident takes the life of Yugi's sister, she is sent back down to Earth as one of God's minor goddesses to aid Yugi in his quest to save the world. During her mission, she falls in with Yugi's greatest rival Seto Kaiba and uncovers her own ancient past with Yugi and Kaiba. What will she find? Will she be able to stay on Earth after her mission is complete?
1. The Accident

_**I have come...with a Yu-Gi-Oh story that I made when I was younger :P since I'm having major writer's block with the Naruto story, I figured I'd get this out of the way then until I can escape that dreaded wall! **_

_**Now, I have heard about the dreaded Mary Sue where supposedly the character is like perfect. Well even though the main character is a girl who died and was resurrected as one of God's minor goddesses, she is most assuredly not perfect. It'd be like saying Belldandy is a complete Mary Sue, but she has her flaws. She gets jealous, she gets drunk off soda, etc. Well I am here to say my character is not perfect. That will be all. **_

_**I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Kazuki Takahashi does. I do own Iphigenia and any other character I manage to cook up. If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, Kaiba would actually beat Yugi fair and square and Tea wouldn't be spouting her friendship talks every five minutes. So enjoy the story!  
**_

* * *

Darkness all around her…frantic voices yelling orders and footsteps scurrying around.

"_Two units of AB stat! We need to get her bleeding under control!"_

What happened? Why was everything so dark? And why were these people sounding so worried? Was it all a dream?

"_Three broken ribs, left arm broken, fractured femur, massive internal bleeding…she may not make it…"_

What were they talking about? Were they saying she was going to die? This was one messed up dream!

"_Little boy, you can't come in here! She needs to be taken to surgery-"_

"_She's my sister!"_

"_I understand, bu-"_

"_Nurse, don't detain him. Surgery won't save her…"_

The grave voice made her heart skip a beat, but the boyish voice made her heart swell in her chest. It was her younger brother Yugi, the one person she loved with all her heart.

"_W-what do you mean it won't save her?"_

"_Son, your sister has suffered massive injuries. It's a miracle that she's still alive, but unfortunately she won't be for long. Her body is too broken and if we tried to do surgery on her, she will die on that table."_

What!? Was she dying? What happened? She tried to rack her brain for answers, but nothing came to mind. The bed she was laying on dipped slightly and a small hand took hers gently, squeezing it tightly.

"_What happened to her…?"_

"_She was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road. The driver is in police custody right now for speeding and now homicide. Quite frankly, I don't know why the driver was going as fast as she was; she was going 65 in a 35. Normally a person would die instantly upon impact at that speed, but for some reason your sister has managed to survive, but barely. It's highly unlikely that she will regain consciousness because of the internal bleeding since it's in her brain, but we can't do surgery because we would be cutting near her brain stem. If we cut the brain stem, she would die instantly. So…surgery will do absolutely nothing except prolong her life for a few hours. She will only last a few more hours on the machine, but it'll be enough for you to be able to say goodbye."_

She heard a choked sob come from Yugi before she felt his fingers brush her cheek. Something wet fell on her hand and she realized that her beloved little brother was crying…she wished fervently that she could reach up and hug him. She wished she could tell him everything would be okay, that things happen for a reason, but she couldn't. Her body felt so heavy…the sound of a door hitting the wall suddenly reached her ears.

"_Yug, we heard what happened! Is she o- oh God…"_

She would recognize that voice anywhere. It looked like Yugi's friends had arrived. A girl gasped quietly before sniffing.

"_She looks so broken…"_

"_Tell me she's gonna be okay, doc!"_

Tristan. A tense silence filled the room before Yugi began sobbing, the heartbreaking sound making her want to cry.

'_I'm sorry Yugi…'_

"_I'm sorry son, but she's not going to make it. Her injuries are too grave."_

She heard Téa begin to weep, imagining her pretty blue eyes filling with tears. There was a stunned silence before Joey spoke.

"_H-how long does she have?"_

"_At most…a few hours. It should be plenty of time to say goodbye. I'm so very sorry for all of you…I can't imagine what you are going through."_

Footsteps echoed in the background until they stopped. A new voice reached her ears. Grandpa…

"_Yugi…I heard about what happened. Just remember that she will always be with us in our hearts."_

Even though Grandpa Motou was trying to give Yugi a little pep talk, she could hear the unshed tears in his voice. If she was going to die…she would fight with everything she had to be able to wake up and say something to them.

"_I just can't believe that she's going to die…"_

Another voice joined the others and her heart began to break upon hearing it. It was Mokuba Kaiba, a little boy she had babysat before. She loved the child to death, but couldn't really stand his older brother. She was surprised that he had even let Mokuba come, but she had a sneaking suspicion that the boy had snuck out to see her.

"_Please…"_

Yugi's pleading voice reached her one more, his tears now falling upon her cheeks. She felt his forehead press against hers, his hands cupping her cheeks.

"_Iphigenia…please don't leave! Please! I-I don't know what I would do without you! For the love of God, wake up! Please wake up!"_

His voice rose to nearly a scream as his hands pressed insistently into her cheeks. Her heart shattered at the desperation in his voice.

"_Yugi…"_

Téa's soft voice tried to reassure Yugi, but he wasn't having any of it. His hot breath fanned over her face, smelling faintly of mint. She wanted so badly to bring her hand up…

'_God, give me strength! All I want is to reassure my brother…my dear brother. Please…give me the strength!'_

She focused all of her remaining strength into lifting her arm, willing it to move. Her fingers twitched slightly before her hand slowly lifted, moving to rest on Yugi's head. She felt him jerk before lifting his head, probably looking at her in disbelief. There was a collective gasp in the room and several footsteps sounded near her bed, a sense of warmth emanating from all sides of her. Her eyes twitched momentarily before cracking open, the light assaulting her eyes. Everything was blurry, but as she started regaining focus, the faces of everyone around her began to become distinct. Yugi was seated right next to her while Grandpa stood behind him with Mokuba next to him. Joey was almost right in her face with Téa behind him and Tristan standing at the foot of her bed.

"I don't believe it…" The doctor was a middle aged man with graying blonde hair and green eyes. He pushed Joey aside and inspected her eyes with his ophthalmoscope, the light burning her sensitive eyes. "There's no way she could have regained consciousness…Miss Motou, can you hear me?"

She paid no attention to the doctor. Instead she turned her attention to her little brother, a weak smile spreading over her lips.

"Y-Yu-gi…" she rasped, her voice unbelievably hoarse. "N-no matter wh-what…I'll a-always b-be with you…l-lo-love y-you, l-little b-brother…"

An overwhelming sense of weakness came over her and her eyes slowly drooped shut, the darkness taking her away. She felt so peaceful, like the world was slowly shrinking around her until she could no longer feel herself. Her heart beat sluggishly until it finally stopped and all coherent thought was torn from her as she sank into the darkness.

Yugi stared down at the body of his older sister, feeling her hand go slack and slowly trail down his cheek as gravity took effect. He shuddered at her cold fingers and his brilliant purple eyes widened when her hand fell to her stomach, the sound of the heart monitor flat lining barely registering in his mind. The doctor looked at the clock on the wall and sighed heavily.

"Time of death…6:24 PM."

Yugi wanted nothing more than to scream at the man even though he was only doing his job. She couldn't be dead…she just couldn't be. If only she hadn't decided to walk home by herself, then she wouldn't be like this! She would be alive and well, welcoming him home with a hug and a delicious dinner waiting on the table. Now…now he would never see her smile again, never hear her laugh or even play Duel Monsters with her.

The sound of Téa weeping and Tristan comforting her didn't even faze him. His grandpa laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly before leaving the room, but soon enough he heard his wail of despair from the hallway. Mokuba was curled up into her stomach, weeping bitterly into the slightly bloody hospital gown and Joey…Joey looked like someone had driven a dagger into his heart. His brown eyes were blank, looking down at his sister's relaxed features. Yugi knew how much of a crush Joey had had on his sister and now he would never be able to tell her just how much he really loved her. He watched as Joey suddenly turned and punched the wall, a sob of anguish escaping him. Everyone was affected terribly by her death. He looked back down at his sister's peaceful face, his purple eyes watering up once more.

'_I'm going to miss you…I hope you are happy in heaven because you truly belong with the angels. I love you Iphigenia.'_

From over Yugi's shoulder, the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle looked down at the face of the dead girl, his face contorted in an expression of misery.

'_I'm sorry Yugi…Iphigenia…may Osiris watch over you.'_

To most of the people in the city of Domino, her death may not affect them, but to the people who knew and really cared about her…Iphigenia Motou was going to be missed terribly. At least for a little while…

A regal figure watched as Iphigenia's spirit left her body and ascended to heaven, her body no longer broken and shattered. This was a minor setback, he realized, but it was nothing that he couldn't fix. After all…he was God and there was nothing that he couldn't do. He would make Iphigenia Motou one of his minor goddesses and send her back down to Earth to aid the former Pharaoh of Egypt in his quest to save the world from evil. She deserved another chance at life, but he would have her bring peace and happiness to those who really needed it. After all, it was her destiny…it was what she did with it that really mattered.


	2. The Mission

_**I have come with a new chapter. Love it, read it, appreciate it...I will admit that I started it off with a little event from one of my favorite books, but I have changed it up so that it fits into the story I have here. I personally think it was okay even though it was a pain to write. **_

_**I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, but Kazuki Takahashi does! I'm trying to convince him to sell me the rights to it, but so far he has been adamant in keeping them. I will get them one day...mark my words!**_

_**If you're wondering why the main character is named Iphigenia, go look up Iphigenia and then come back to the story. In time you will understand why she is named that. It's not because it's just a pretty name (because by all means, it is), but it's because there is meaning behind the name. I never name my characters without some sort of symbolism or backstory to it. Like my English teacher in high school used to shout: SYMBOLISM! Crazy bastard...  
**_

_**I also apologize if you are religious, but I am religious. I toyed with the fact of making the character a servant of God because she is, but I do honor the Father, so I tried to have her do that as well. Once again, I am sorry if you are religious, but this is just for entertainment purposes. It is in no way meant to offend anyone at all.**_

* * *

In the two years that had passed since the takeover of KaibaCorp by Seto Kaiba over his stepfather Gozaburo, KaibaCorp had flourished into a highly successful gaming company as opposed to the weapons company it had been before, Kazuhiro Takeuchi thought, as he got into the elevator and punched the key for the twenty-fifth floor. A tanned hand gripped the morning's newspaper tightly as the elevator doors slid open with a hiss and he made his way purposefully to the double doors straight ahead. Ignoring the protests of the secretary seated just to the side of the doors, he threw open the doors and slammed them shut behind him.

"Do come in," the voice of his boss sounded with a mocking undertone. "Don't even bother to knock."

Takeuchi strode to the perfectly polished desk and threw the newspaper onto his boss' desk, making sure the young man saw the headline. "I go to Tokyo to settle a dispute and I come back to this? What the hell is the meaning of this?"

A pair of crystalline blue eyes flicked up from the laptop screen and scrutinized the headline, a faint smirk appearing on his lips. "I don't believe it requires an explanation. You couldn't have been the PR advisor for KaibaCorp all these years without learning how to read."

Takeuchi glared at the young man he called friend and employer. "I think I can read quite well, thank you very much." To make sure his boss got his point, Takeuchi picked up the newspaper and began reading the article. "'Boy billionaire Seto Kaiba- CEO and majority shareholder of Kaiba Corporation- offers one million dollars to anyone who can prove that magic exists outside the boundaries of science. A public competition will be held tomorrow morning in the Duel Dome. Only serious applicants will be admitted.' _Serious _applicants!? You're going to have every fortune-teller, psychic hotline operator and swindler on your doorstep by dawn!" Takeuchi threw the paper down and began rubbing his temples feverishly. "It's too early in the morning to deal with this bullshit. Couldn't you have waited a week or two after I returned or until Battle City gets over with?"

A short laugh came from Kaiba as he turned his attention back to the blueprints on his screen. Takeuchi rubbed his eyes for a moment before glaring at him once more. "When are you going to stop doing all of these ridiculous competitions? I realize Duel Monsters is your life, but this!?" He gestured to the headline, which showed a black and white photo of Kaiba sneering at the camera. "You're going to completely destroy your reputation with this! I work my fingers to the bone trying to keep a respectable reputation for you! Why keep doing this?"

Kaiba sighed and leaned back in his chair, folding his fingers together on his abdomen. "I won't stop until I find what I'm looking for."

"And what would that be?"

Kaiba ignored his question and stood from his leather chair, turning his back on his PR advisor and looking out the window at the city of Domino. He heard Takeuchi sigh from behind him and that gave him enough incentive to answer him.

"If you're worried about the million dollars, don't waste your energy. I don't expect to give up that prize at all."

"Seto…" Takeuchi finally addressed Kaiba with the familiarity of a friend as he flopped into one of the cushioned chairs that sat in front of Kaiba's desk. "I understand the whole reasoning behind you not believing in magic, but this is just outright ridiculous. I've worked for you faithfully the whole time you've been CEO of this company. I've sacrificed so much for you and sometimes I feel like you don't appreciate the things I do just to make sure you remain successful. I'll admit that the whole fiasco with Industrial Illusions and the Big 5 may have damaged your reputation slightly, but I do all I can to make sure that you look like a good guy to the public even if you act like a complete ass."

Kaiba turned to stare at his employee with a bored expression. Takeuchi knew that only he could get away with calling Kaiba an ass because of the debt that Kaiba owed him. He had helped Seto take over KaibaCorp and even saved him from Gozaburo's rage many times at the risk of being fired. He had been fired for a week after he helped Seto with the task that Gozaburo gave him, but Seto had rehired him and kept him on ever since the takeover. He had been more of a father figure to Seto rather than friend and even though Kaiba treated him like dirt sometimes, he knew that the young man held a great deal of respect for him. He had been there when Industrial Illusions tried to take over, when the Big 5 tried to get rid of Seto and Mokuba, even when Mokuba had become severely depressed over the death of his babysitter nearly a year ago and even though Seto wouldn't admit it, he had been hit hard by the death as well.

"Seto, it's been a year since her death. I know sometimes you like to play mad scientist, but you can't revive the dead. I know you cared about her as more than just the babysitter of your younger brother, but you have to accept that she is dead and gone. If you think this competition is going to bring out someone who can bring back the dead, you are going to be in for a very rude awakening."

A cold glare from Kaiba made Takeuchi flinch. Even though he was forty years his senior, the older man still felt intimidated by him.

"Actually, let's forget I said anything. I should get back to work."

* * *

Iphigenia Motou had always felt humbled when she was in the presence of her Lord God. After all, he was the one who had graciously accepted her into his paradise after her life had ended on Earth. Sometimes she had questioned why she had been allowed to reside in heaven, but God would chuckle and tell her that she had done many good things in life as a human. She had been brought before him many times ever since her conversion as a minor goddess so that he could see how well her studies were going and each time he was pleased greatly. Now…now she was brought before him for a final counsel, one that determined whether or not she would be accepted into God's special graces. With God were three great archangels- Gabriel, Michael and Raphael. Her mentor was Gabriel, who gave her a gentle smile as she kneeled before her Lord. God himself looked down at her, his shining face obscured to her as she was not yet worthy enough to look upon his face.

"Iphigenia, Gabriel has told me that you have completed your studies and mastered your new abilities. For that, I shall reward you."

"Thank you, Heavenly Father," she said, keeping her head bowed in respect to her Lord. God tapped his chin thoughtfully as he planned out what he was going to say.

"I will be sending you back down to Earth."

Iphigenia's head shot up almost immediately, forgetting her humble stance and jumping to her feet. "But my Lord, I am not ready to go down! Is there really nothing left for me to learn?"

God didn't reprimand her for her lapse in etiquette, but Gabriel shook his head slightly. Iphigenia would sometimes forget her place, but God was very understanding. He saw everyone as an equal and that included Iphigenia.

"My dear, there is so much more for you to learn, but you must do it on your own. You will not learn anything up here any longer, but down on Earth. I have a very special mission for you and you alone. Normally I would give it to one of my archangels, but this mission is tailored more specifically to you. I want you to aid a former Pharaoh of Egypt in saving the world from a dark evil that has wandered the land for thousands of years. There is a reason why I made you into one of my minor goddesses and I think it's time you learn why." Iphigenia stood straighter and listened intently to what God had to say. "There are many things about yourself that you do not know and the accident that took your life set back some plans of mine, but in making you a goddess, you are better suited to fighting this great evil. Also, this mission is not just about saving the world. It is also a mission of self reflection. You will know in time what I mean, but you must leave now."

Iphigenia took a step toward her Lord and knelt at his feet. "Heavenly Father…you honor me with this mission, but what if I need help?"

"Gabriel." At his Lord's command, Gabriel stepped forth and knelt beside Iphigenia. "Gabriel will keep tabs on you and if you ever find yourself in a tight situation, he will help you. Never fear, Iphigenia. I won't let my servants come to harm."

"Praise God…" she murmured, kissing his feet. God looked down upon her and smiled, taking two golden earrings from Michael.

"Rise." The young goddess did so and the Father slipped one earring into her left earlobe, taking the two clamps and attaching them to the upper cartilage of her ear. The other earring was slipped into her right earlobe, but no clamps placed upon the upper portion of her ear. "These earrings are enchanted for our guardian angels. The right one can be used to transform into our sacred staff while the left one will keep your powers in check. When you first go down, you will have access to basic magic, but as time passes you will be able to tap into your full potential."

"Why must I have reins on my abilities, my Lord?" Iphigenia asked before he had a chance to finish. Gabriel gave her another disapproving look, but God merely smiled -or she thought he did- and replied.

"Because if the humans on Earth were to learn that they had a goddess among them, they may try to use you for their own selfish means. Heed my words Iphigenia…the only ones who are allowed to know are the Pharaoh and the people you used to know. I know that they are good people who would not abuse the power that you possess."

"Yes Heavenly Father…" she murmured, looking back down at the marble floor. God clapped his hands once and the inside of the marble temple around her disappeared, leaving the white fluffy clouds around her.

"Your mission begins now!"

Before Iphigenia could say anything, she began falling down to Earth, her screams barely reaching her ears over the deafening roar of the wind.

* * *

"Are you happy now, Seto? You have a media circus and you're the only ringmaster in town," Takeuchi griped dryly from his position beside Kaiba on the stage in the Duel Dome. Kaiba slashed another name on the list before him.

"Next."

An old man in a velvet lined cape was shaking his top hat vigorously, hoping that the rabbit he had been trying to pull from it would simply fall from it. "Please Mr. Kaiba, give me another chance!" he cried.

"Next," Kaiba snapped, glaring frostily at the man. He watched as the man nearly shit himself before rushing out of the arena, a dark chuckle escaping him. A reporter thrust his microphone into his face, babbling another insignificant question to him about who knows what. He pushed the microphone away from him calmly before slashing another name. "Next."

"But I managed to bring a man back to life by breathing in him!" A local model griped as she was led away by one of Kaiba's guards.

Takeuchi rubbed his temples, feeling a massive migraine coming on. "I knew I should've taken five extra-strength Tylenol instead of two before coming here," he muttered, glancing at the long line of people dressed in a dizzying array of strange clothing. "Or maybe a bottle of Prozac…"

It didn't help that the media had swarmed onto the event like flies to the slaughter. Reporters constantly pushed their microphones into the CEO's face hoping that he would grace them with an answer only to be pushed away. Photographers hung out of helicopters trying to get aerial views of the competition and interviewers were chatting up the contestants.

"Next." Kaiba's cool voice reached his ears as the man slashed another name, watching as the garishly dressed gypsy before them slunk away with a scowl.

"How can you be so damn calm about this!?" Takeuchi asked, running his hands repeatedly through his graying hair. "Your reputation is shot! I've already gotten a few calls from some of our business partners offering referrals to their therapists! It's a wonder the board of directors hasn't-are you even listening!?"

Kaiba was drawing a Blue Eyes White Dragon on his notebook, pretending not to hear Takeuchi's rant. When the older man stopped to take a breath, he glanced up at him and looked him over with calculating eyes. "Maybe you should take one of those referrals. You look like you need some analysis."

"I'll probably have to after this. Honestly Seto, working for you can be such a chore sometimes. You fire more people than you hire. I'm surprised KaibaCorp stays afloat with your attitude sometimes," Takeuchi replied, his head hitting the table in front of him with a dull thud.

"Try not to crack the table or it'll be coming out of your pay," Kaiba remarked as he slashed through three more names before setting his pen down and leaning back in his chair. "Call a fifteen minute break. I need another cup of coffee before I can deal with more of this bullshit."

"You wanted this bullshit, so you'll get it," Takeuchi said, but he tapped the microphone in front of him to make sure it was functioning and spoke into it. "I apologize for the interruption, but there will be a brief fifteen minute break. Please take this time to use the restrooms or prepare your act for the judges. Trust me, you'll need the preparation." He leaned back from the microphone, ignoring the pointed look that Kaiba gave him. "Just giving them a heads up, Seto. I know that none of these people will pass, so I'll just dash their hopes now."

A secretary brought the two men fresh cups of coffee and promptly left them to their thoughts. After fifteen minutes, they were ready to face the onslaught of phonies, con artists and swindlers once more. If anything, Takeuchi's little warning had spurred the contestants to put forth their best effort. And then the competition came to a roaring halt when a former KaibaCorp employee had his turn.

"Name?" Kaiba called out, his voice bored.

"Shunsuke Katsumi," the middle-aged man proclaimed proudly, bowing deeply before causing a bouquet of roses to poof into existence from his wand. A little girl standing off to the side clapped loudly and he handed them off to her, tweaking her nose.

Kaiba immediately stiffened before turning to his most trusted bodyguard Roland. "Get him out of here."

"Not so fast, Mr. Kaiba. You said this competition was open to anyone, so it wouldn't look good on you if you had me thrown out of here. I have as much right to that prize as anyone else here," Katsumi said with a devious smirk, stopping Roland in his tracks.

"He's right, you know," Takeuchi whispered in Kaiba's ear. "It would be bad for publicity if you kicked him out."

"I believe I have a restraining order against him, Takeuchi," Kaiba replied, throwing an icy glare in Katsumi's direction. "I want his sorry ass out of here or I will have Roland shoot him."

"Er…Roland, please escort Mr. Katsumi out of here," the older man requested, not wanting to see his boss put behind bars.

The little girl from earlier began to cry when Roland and another bodyguard grabbed Katsumi and dragged him away to the exit, but the former KaibaCorp employee wouldn't go down without a fight.

"That son of a bitch killed Gozaburo Kaiba! He didn't even deny it when he was questioned! I'll get you for this, Seto Kaiba!" he shrieked before the door was closed on him, his yells muffled.

"God damn…this city is full of freaks," Kaiba mused, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Takeuchi couldn't hide his smirk any longer.

"You seem to attract them like magnets though, Seto."

Kaiba leveled him with one of his famous glares before hearing the little girl squealing to her father. "Daddy, look up in the sky!"

"Darling, I've told you for the last time, they're heli-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence when a deafening scream of pure terror reached their ears. Without the roaring sounds of the helicopters now, the scream was clear as day and everyone looked up into the sky, a collective gasp escaping the crowd.

"What the hell…?" Kaiba muttered, squinting to try to see the object that was falling toward them at a rapid rate. "Is someone trying to pull a kamikaze move or something?"

His question went unanswered as the object plummeted closer to their location. It was then that a helicopter swooped out of nowhere trying to get a better view of the falling object. The blades of the helicopter caused the person's clothing to billow out and form into a makeshift parachute, revealing their slender legs to the crowd below. A group of people who had come with blankets had spread out over the expanse of the arena hoping to catch the falling person before they hit the ground and hurt themselves. When the person was almost past the open roof of the Duel Dome, the updraft that had caused their clothing to break their fall suddenly fell. Screams of terror escaped the crowd below and the squeals escaping the petite figure increased in volume as they plummeted to the ground. Luckily a group had judged where they would fall correctly and the figure fell into their fluffy blanket safely. They lowered their blanket to the ground as Kaiba and Takeuchi pushed their way through the crowd to the person. Roland was already at their side, pointing a gun at her.

"Who the hell do you think you are crashing my competition with your little damsel in distress move!? I should have you arrested for attempting such a stupid little st-" Kaiba cut himself off. He had finally reached her and stopped himself when he saw exactly who it was that had fallen from the sky.

"Step away from her, sir. She could be an assassin," Roland said, keeping his gun trained on her.

"Seto, what's going on?" Takeuchi yelled as he made his way to his boss' side, but he stopped when he saw who it was. When he saw Roland pointing the gun at her, he lunged at him and threw him backward. "Idiot! Don't point a gun at her! Can't you see who she is?"

"I thought she was an assassin, Mr. Takeuchi," Roland said, defending himself quickly. Takeuchi rubbed his temples once more, wishing once more that he had brought Tylenol with him.

"If Mr. Kaiba saw that you were pointing a gun at her, he would fire you in an instant!"

Roland looked away shamefully before putting his gun away and Takeuchi turned back to Kaiba.

"Seto?"

Kaiba had made his way toward the still figure laying on the fluffy green blanket, kneeling next to her and taking a few strands of her light brown hair between his fingers. He was stunned in silence. The same features, the same hair…hell, even the same body. His other hand came up to stroke her cheek and her eyes flew open, their dark blue depths cutting right through his icy exterior and hitting him right in his heart. Her eyes widened with recognition before she smiled up at him, her hand coming up to brush a few strands of his brown hair away from his matching blue eyes before resting against his cheek.

"It's you," she murmured in a gentle voice. "I missed you."

Right as those words left her lips, she fell back against the blanket unconscious. Kaiba sidled next to her and lifted her upper body into his lap, her head resting against his stomach.

"Seto?" Takeuchi queried, trying to get the young man's attention. Kaiba looked up at him and for the first time, Takeuchi saw something in the CEO's eyes that he hadn't seen for a very long time. It was wonder.

Somehow, someway…Iphigenia Motou was alive.


	3. The Reunion

_**This took a while to write what with all the distractions...but I think I've gotten a better chapter written here. I hate writing author notes...**_

_**By the way, Iphigenia's name is pronounced if-uh-GEE-nee-ah. Her nickname Iphi is pronounced if-ee. So yeah...letting ya know!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Kazuki Takahashi does and he's the best for coming up with it!**_

* * *

Iphigenia's eyes slowly cracked open to find herself no longer in the Duel Dome where she had crash landed from heaven, but in a room shadowed by dark blue curtains. Her fingers glided over satiny sheets as she lifted herself into a sitting position on the king-size bed, looking up at the ceiling only to see a canopy over the bed depicting angels flying through the clouds. Had it all been a dream and she was still in heaven? If that was the case, whose room was she in?

A rustle came from the shadows and a figure stepped into view, one she knew all too well. He wasn't exactly an angel, but his features were enough to be considered heavenly. Dark brown hair covered his head in a pleasant manner, his bangs falling gently into his sapphire eyes, which were currently glaring her down. High cheekbones suggested a regal ancestry, but she knew all too well that he was from no such descent. His full lips would look plush if they weren't pressed into a hard thin line. His beautiful countenance was quickly pushed from her mind when he spoke, his voice hard and cold.

"Now that you're awake, you won't mind answering a few questions."

Iphigenia jerked the sheet up to her chin, trying in vain to preserve modesty even though she was still fully dressed in her clothing. The man strode to the door and flicked the switch to turn the lights on, the majestic room coming into clearer view. She could see now that there were three doors in the room; one leading to the bathroom, another to a walk-in closet and another -she suspected- leading to the hallway and her freedom. A round glass table sat a few feet away from the bed, a plush chaise chair next to it. A small nightstand with an equally small lamp sat next to the bed, just within arm's reach. The brown haired man made his way back to the bed, pulling the chair away from the table to position it at the foot of the bed and seating himself in it, crossing one leg over the other before fixing her with another glare.

"Now…state your name. And don't think of lying to me because I will tell if you are and trust me, the consequences will be dire," he said, his voice dry with a hint of malice beneath it. His deep blue eyes seemed to almost dare her to lie to him just to test his theory. However, she wouldn't be scared into submission if she could help it. She'd dealt with him before and she would use the same methods as before.

"My name is Iphigenia Motou as you already know, Mr. Kaiba," she said in a serious tone, crossing her arms over her chest. He merely sneered at her, his expression telling her that he didn't believe one word she said.

"Impossible. Iphigenia Motou died almost a year ago. You expect me to believe that you're her? Who was it that died then, a really good imitation of you? If so, I have to give her props for completely devastating the geek squad. They haven't annoyed me so much as before."

She flinched at how completely heartless he sounded. How could he speak so rudely about her loved ones' misery like that when his own brother had been affected greatly by her death as well? She wondered vaguely if he was one of the few persons who were allowed to know her secret, but since he was Mokuba's older brother and she knew that he might not take advantage of her, what was the harm in it?

"I know it might sound really strange, but I'm telling you the truth. I did die, but I was made into a minor goddess by our Heavenly Father. I'm here on a mission to aid a former Pharaoh of Egypt in saving the world from a dark evil."

Kaiba stared at her like she had grown two extra heads before a sharp bark of laughter escaped him. It cut her to the core with its mocking undertones, clearly stating that he did not believe a word she said. But then again, she thought, this was Seto Kaiba. He was a stubborn, pig-headed jackass who only cared about himself. His laughter ended as abruptly as it had started, his cold blue eyes staring her down once more.

"Complete bullshit. You're just as bad as Yugi with his whole 'Heart of the Cards' mumbo jumbo. You should count yourself lucky that I won't have you arrested for your little publicity stunt." Iphigenia was confused and her face must have shown it because he sighed then and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why did you do it? Did you jump from a plane hovering directly over the dome or am I supposed to believe that God himself dropped you down right at my feet?"

"Yes!" She squealed, clutching the satiny sheets in her hands. She wanted nothing more than to launch herself at him and punch his smug face in. How dare he speak so mockingly of her Lord! "He was telling me the specifics of my mission and then he sent me down here on my own! If you don't believe that I am who I am, ask me a few questions that only the real Iphigenia Motou would know!"

He seemed to think about this for a moment before nodding and pressing the side of his white jacket. "Roland, bring Mokuba to my room immediately!"

"Right away, sir!" Another man's voice came from his jacket and Iphigenia jumped. Technology had come quite a long way since her death and there was no technology in heaven, so she had been out of touch for a while. The mention of Mokuba's name however sent a surge of joy through her body. Sure enough, only a few minutes had passed when the door to the bedroom opened and a little boy with long black hair entered, looking around curiously.

"You called, Seto?"

Mokuba stopped in his tracks when he saw Iphigenia in the bed, his body frozen mid-step. He rubbed his eyes harshly before looking at her again to make sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. When he confirmed that she was still there sitting in his big brother's bed, a big smile broke out over his face as he rushed at her and glomped her.

"Iphigenia! You're alive!" he squealed as he buried his face in her chest, weeping tears of joy. Iphigenia caught the dark scowl that passed over Kaiba's face at his brother so readily accepting her before it was replaced with an apathetic look, his blue eyes trained on her. He cleared his throat loudly, catching the attention of his little brother.

"Mokuba, since you know more about Iphigenia than I do, I want you to ask her a few questions that are personal to the 'real' Iphigenia Motou." He emphasized the word 'real' to get his point across. Mokuba looked between Kaiba and her before giving his answer.

"Seto, I don't see why you don't think it's really her…" he said, giving his brother the puppy dog eyes. For a moment Kaiba almost gave in to them, but he stopped himself before he could.

"Mokuba, for all we know, she could be a really good con artist!"

"It's not like she was known worldwide, Seto! Why would someone impersonate her!?" Mokuba's voice had risen to a yell and Iphigenia's eyes widened slightly at the tone of his voice.

"Mokuba…" she said, patting the top of his head. He turned back to her and smiled, reaching for the hem of her white under dress. Panic overwhelmed her and her hands shot to his to keep them from lifting her dress up.

"I'm sorry about this Iphigenia, but Seto won't believe me without solid proof. I want to show him the birthmark on your stomach, so just trust me on this." She pondered his request for a moment before letting him drag the silky material up her stomach, revealing her lacy panties and the barely noticeable birthmark on her belly that closely resembled an hourglass. Giving a shout of triumph, Mokuba stabbed the mark gently and moved so that Kaiba could see. "See Seto? Only Iphigenia has this and I highly doubt that any con artist would know about this!"

Iphigenia bit her lip as she watched a look of surprise flit over Kaiba's features before hardening back into his stony glare. "Then explain how she's here when she's clearly been dead for over a year."

Mokuba blinked and turned back to Iphigenia, his blue-grey eyes looking over her with apprehension. "Now that you mention it Seto, it is a little strange…how are you alive once more, Iphigenia? Or was it someone else who died?"

Iphigenia sighed heavily before telling Mokuba her tale of becoming a minor goddess to God and the mission to help the former Pharaoh of Egypt. The younger Kaiba listened and nodded his head to indicate that he was understanding her while the elder Kaiba simply stared her down with indifference. When she finished, Mokuba scratched his head and gave her a sheepish look.

"I never imagined something like that could happen, but then again with all the stuff about Egypt and the Millennium Items, it's pretty believable."

Kaiba's mouth dropped open at how easily his younger brother accepted her story and Iphigenia smiled down at the raven-haired angel in her lap. "Mokuba, I know it sounds far-fetched, but it's the truth. If you want, I can perform some small magic to prove it."

Kaiba gave her a skeptical look, but Mokuba jumped up and clapped his hands. "Go for it!"

Iphigenia smiled and moved so that she was kneeling on the bed, clasping her hands together in front of her and closing her eyes. For a moment nothing happened, but then the lights began to flicker slightly, catching the attention of both Kaiba brothers. A bluish glow surrounded Iphigenia's body as sparkles began to swirl around her, her blue and white outfit moving in an unknown wind. Before their very eyes, Iphigenia's outfit began to change from her blue and white dress to a pale yellow turtleneck sweater with red tassels and a short red skirt, revealing her long legs with red flats adorning her feet. The sparkles disappeared and the glow slowly dissipated until the room returned to its normal state. She opened her eyes to see two things; one was Mokuba with his mouth wide open and eyes bugged out while the other was Kaiba with his slightly miffed expression. "Well, do you believe me now Mokuba?" she asked, bringing a finger to her lips in a cute way.

"Heck yeah I do! That was amazing! Can you do anything else!?"

Iphigenia was about to reply when the door to the bedroom was flung open and a face she hadn't seen for a long time appeared, but she remembered that face. Whenever she closed her eyes to sleep, she had seen his adorable face with his big purple eyes and golden bangs falling gently over his forehead. This moment would be burned into her memory forever.

"YUGI!" The former human jumped off the bed and ran to her younger brother, throwing her arms around him and knocking him to the floor. "I missed you so much, ototo!" She felt his arms going around her as well and smiled, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks.

'_I can't believe I'm actually here with him once more. It feels like it's been a lifetime!' _she thought as a shadow appeared over them. She looked up into the surprised faces of Joey, Téa, Tristan and a man she didn't recognize. "Oh…hi guys…" she said sheepishly, getting off of Yugi and standing up. As soon as she had gotten to her feet, she had been swept up in a bear hug and Joey's face was now inches from her own.

"I missed ya Iphi," he whispered in her ear, hugging her tightly enough to constrict her lungs and cause her to wheeze.

"Too…tight…! Can't…breathe!" she managed to rasp out before the blonde finally let her down. She was hugged and greeted by the rest of the gang before the older man approached her with a file in his hands.

"You must be our little skydiver. Believe me when I say this, but I've heard quite a bit about you, young lady," he said with a bit of a fatherly tone. "I'll agree with Mr. Kaiba that it is a strange thing that you are here in the flesh if you are who you claim to be, but we'll find out soon enough." Iphigenia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but he quickly interrupted her. "I'm sorry I didn't properly introduce myself. I'm Kazuhiro Takeuchi- Seto's legal counsel, PR advisor of KaibaCorp and defender of beautiful ladies such as yourself." Iphigenia heard Kaiba snort from behind her, but Takeuchi ignored him and continued. "As of right now, we are trying to keep the press out of this matter, but they are persistent. The tabloids managed to snap a few pictures of you and they've already called KaibaCorp asking questions about how you are alive after supposedly being dead. We're trying to make up a story about how it was someone who looked like you and you had gone out of the country for studies abroad. The only thing we're going to need from you is a DNA sample to confirm that you are who you say you are."

"Takeuchi is a lawyer first and a PR advisor second, so he's perfect for fabricating bullshit," Kaiba offered, finally rising from his chair and approaching the group of people huddled just inside his bedroom door, taking care to keep away from Joey. "In other words you'll get off scot-free, but after your little trick just a few minutes ago, I'm beginning to wonder if you are who you say you are. You may look like Iphigenia Motou, but until those tests come back, I won't believe a word that comes from your mouth."

Iphigenia didn't know why, but when those words left him, a tinge of sadness went through her. She hadn't expected to come back down to Earth and be met with distrust and hatred. She lowered her head so that her bangs shadowed her eyes, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. A large hand came down on her shoulder and she heard Takeuchi speak. "Seto, just give her the benefit of the doubt. She's been through a lot and I would certainly want to rest after having dropped out of the sky at your feet _and _having you bitch at me at the same time."

Kaiba threw Takeuchi a glare, telling him to shut up before he punished him. "How do you expect me to believe this is actually Iphigenia Motou, Kazuhiro? She could have had an evil twin somewhere."

"And you might have a nice one somewhere," Takeuchi shot back, enjoying the sulky silence from Kaiba. Abruptly the CEO pushed through the group and made his way out into the hallway. "Where are you going, Seto?"

"I'm going to find answers and I certainly won't find any just by standing around," Kaiba called over his shoulder as he descended the stairs and disappeared from sight. Takeuchi watched with an amused smile on his lips before he turned to Iphigenia.

"Well Miss Motou, I must congratulate you. I believe you've cracked the wall of ice that Mr. Kaiba has built up over the years. I haven't seen him in such a temper in years."

"Yeah! Good ta know that she's got Kaiba all pissed off like that! He needs ta be put in his place every now and then," Joey said, slinging his arm around Iphigenia's shoulders and holding her to him. No one noticed the faint blush that dusted her cheeks.

"Well the good thing is that you're alive and well, Iphigenia," Téa said with a smile. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we've missed you a lot. Now I only have one question…how exactly are you alive?"

Iphigenia was about to answer when Takeuchi cut her off. "I'm sorry to interrupt this little reunion, but we're going to have to keep you here under surveillance, Miss Motou. Mr. Kaiba doesn't want you leaving here until we can get the whole matter under control and we have proof of who you really are."

The young goddess simply smiled and nodded. "Do whatever you need to do, but you'll find that I'm being completely truthful, Mr. Takeuchi." She bowed respectfully before him and he chuckled, waving his hand at her.

"You don't need to call me that, just Kazuhiro will do," he replied. "I'm sorry about this, but you all need to leave including you, Mokuba. We're going to take a blood sample from Miss Motou and get her situated in a room so that we can take care of this mess."

"Yer kickin' us out afta we haven't seen Iphi fer almost a year!? That's bullshit, man! Ya gotta let us see 'er ta make up fer all the time! I oughta sue ya!" Joey was still ranting even after Téa and Tristan grabbed his arms and started dragging him out of the room, his yells reaching their ears even after the three had disappeared from view with Mokuba following them. Yugi stayed behind with Iphigenia and Takeuchi.

"Iphigenia…when this is all over, please come home?" Yugi pleaded, looking up at her with his innocent amethyst eyes. Iphigenia smiled and hugged her younger brother once more.

"Of course Yugi, I promise to return once this matter is resolved. Give a hug and kiss to Grandpa for me, will you?" He smiled up at her and kissed her cheek before running out of the room and leaving Iphigenia with Takeuchi. The older man smiled down at her and gestured to the door.

"Shall we?"

* * *

When Seto Kaiba walked into the security room of his mansion, the guard at the monitors jumped nearly five feet into the air, quickly hid his porno magazine underneath his seat and jumped up to attention.

"You're fired."- was all Kaiba had to say to the guard. The burly man's shoulders deflated and he scurried out of the room. If he had been paying attention, he would have seen his boss approaching the security room and had ample time to organize himself so that he wouldn't have been fired. Kaiba had a knack for catching his employees off guard and firing them when they weren't doing their job.

"Now…to see what our little con artist is up to," he muttered to himself as he sat down in the chair, throwing the magazine away and changing the cameras so that the surveillance now showed the room that Iphigenia had been settled into. Just as the image popped up on the screen, Takeuchi walked in.

"The little missus has been situated for now. All we need to do is wait for the results to come back and we'll have our answer Seto." He was ignored as Kaiba sat back in the chair and watched the feminine form on the screen. Iphigenia was sitting on the windowsill watching the sun go down, the dying rays of light casting an ethereal shadow upon her figure. She stayed in that position for a few more moments before getting up and walking to the bed. Kaiba noted that she had changed into a long white shirt that looked suspiciously like his. It was long enough that it fell to the middle of her thighs and large enough that the shoulder had slipped down revealing clear peach-colored skin. Her long light brown hair had been pulled into a careless braid that now tumbled over her shoulder and rested against the mounds of her chest. Kaiba felt light breathing over his shoulder and turned to see Takeuchi's eyes rooted to the screen, his eyes becoming glassy.

"Activate the microphones in her room," he ordered, watching as the older man broke out of his trance and looked at him curiously.

"But Seto, we have strict orders never to activate them without your permission," Takeuchi said. Kaiba gave him a look of deadly patience.

"Who do you think gave those orders?"

Takeuchi sighed, scratching the back of his head and casting the CEO a look of indifference. "You, sir."

"And who signs your paychecks?"

"You do."

Kaiba continued to stare at him. Takeuchi sighed and flipped a switch behind him that activated the microphones in the cameras. _'Why couldn't the microphones and cameras be linked together?' _Kaiba turned back to the screen, watching as the young woman got up from the bed and made her way to the window again. Oddly enough, he liked how she had gotten up with grace and the way the shirt moved so that just the edges of her buttocks could be seen…he slapped himself mentally at thinking such thoughts. She closed the curtains so that the room darkened just a little, but he could still see her clearly. She turned around and he got a good look at her features. He had to admit that she did look exactly like Iphigenia. _'Maybe it really is her…'_ His heart gave a lurch at the thought as he examined her, zooming the camera in on her. Same hair, same eyes, the cute button nose and pouty pink lips…hell even the shape of her chin was the same. Her bangs hung in her face and a few tendrils of hair fell over her shoulders on either side of her face, resting gently on her chest. Her skin was the color of a healthy peach, soft and inviting. He suddenly wanted to be the only one to view her like this…

"Out," he ordered Takeuchi, listening as the man shuffled out of the room before closing the door and locking it. Now no one could interrupt him during this. He went back to observing Iphigenia.

Offhandedly, he began wondering what had come over him to bring her into his home and into his bed. When she had fallen unconscious in the dome, Roland had rushed forward to take her from his arms, but Kaiba's first instinct had been to cover her from the cameras and reporters and run. Holding her slender form against his body, he had rushed into the elevator with Roland and Takeuchi and ridden down to the ground floor only to be accosted by more cameras. Roland and Takeuchi had covered him as they made their way to the limo. Once inside he had barked at his driver to take him to the mansion and turned back to the limp girl. His mansion and his office had always been refuges away from the press and this was one story that he didn't want them getting their grubby hands on because they would blow it completely out of proportion. The only thing that was a plus for bringing her to the mansion was that now he could keep an eye on her until he could find a reason to discredit her claims.

Watching her sleep in his bed had affected him more than he had thought. Sure he had had the occasional girl in his bed, but never had he been so frustrated just watching her sleep. The way her brown hair had splayed across his pillow and how her pink lips parted while she slept…Kaiba shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable. His eyes flicked back to the screen as Iphigenia made her way to the telephone sitting on the nightstand. He flicked the switch that would monitor her conversation and trace the call if need be. Who would she call? The press? One of his business rivals? Maybe she was going to call her conspirator to tell them that she had successfully managed to fool Seto Kaiba into thinking she was Iphigenia Motou come back from the dead and report on her progress. Or maybe she would call her lover who would mock Kaiba's gullibility and then promise to do the most sinfully carnal things to her once they were together again…

Kaiba literally slapped himself across the face, bringing himself back to reality. Where the hell had that come from? Normally he wouldn't fantasize about things like that. He watched as Iphigenia lifted the phone from its cradle and punched in a number, listening as the phone rang. After ringing twice, someone picked up.

"Hello, game shop?"

Yugi! She had called Yugi!

"Hey Yugi, it's me," she said, her voice soft and gentle even through the speaker in the room. He had missed that voice…

"Iphigenia! Whatcha calling for? Did you want to talk to Grandpa? Actually scratch that, Grandpa almost had a heart attack when I told him that you were alive. He can't wait for you to come back though." He could almost see the runt's wide smile now. Yugi was too cheerful for his own good.

"I imagined Grandpa would be a little surprised, but no. Let him rest for now and as for why I'm calling, I just wanted to talk to my little brother. I really missed you Yugi…"

"Well I missed you too, more than you know. Even Yami was really torn up about your death…" Yugi's voice suddenly took on a more solemn tone, but Kaiba watched a look of confusion settle in her features.

"Yami? Who's Yami?"

"Oh that's right! Yami is the spirit in the Millennium Puzzle. Apparently he's an ancient Pharaoh of Egypt who saved the world back then and now he's back to save it again." Kaiba snorted. It figured that Yugi would buy into the bullshit that Ishizu had fed them.

"Oh…" Iphigenia's voice had grown softer and her face suddenly became sad. He wanted to reach out to her and hold her in his arms like he had wanted to a long time ago, but never had the chance to do. "Well Yugi, I actually wanted to talk to you about that. When I died, I went up to heaven and God picked me out of the souls that were coming in. He made me one of his minor goddesses and after a year, he gave me this mission to aid a former Pharaoh of Egypt in saving the world. I think he might have been referring to Yami."

"So God is actually real? What's he like? Is he really an old man like a lot of people portray him as?" Yugi's voice was beginning to grate on Kaiba's nerves. God, he really hated him.

"Yes he's real and he is a very benevolent God, Yugi. I owe him greatly for giving me this mission because it meant that I would see you again…and everyone else as well."

"I can't believe you have to stay at Kaiba's though," Yugi said, his voice a little disappointed. "I don't see why he wouldn't let you come home and wait for results there."

"I think he's trying to prove that I'm not really Iphigenia Motou, but I guess Kaiba prefers solid proof and the only way to get that is through a DNA sample. It's not all bad though; at least I can still see Mokuba. God knows I've missed that little angel. I'm sure that God would make him one of his angels when he lives his life."

"I suppose…but really Iphigenia, we all missed you. Especially Joey. You do know that he really liked you, right?" Kaiba sat up straighter at this. Wheeler liking Iphigenia? Oh hell no!

"I had a feeling he did…"

"Well it's not really my place to tell you how he feels. Joey should come and tell you himself. He'd put his life on the line for you, Iphigenia…you know? When you died that day…I'd never seen him so broken before. It took a while before we actually got him to go back to school. He never really liked it anyway…"

A dry chuckle came from Iphigenia's side of the line. A moment of silence passed before Yugi spoke again, his voice urgent. "Sorry Iphigenia, but some customers just came in. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sure…I miss you ototo, love you," she said, her voice a little shaky.

"Love you too ane, bye." With that, the call disconnected and Kaiba watched as Iphigenia put the phone back in its cradle and curled up on the bed, burying her face in the pillow. He heard a heavy sigh escape her and almost expected her to start crying, but she simply lay there breathing softly. His eyes slid down to her long legs, admiring the way they were tucked into her body. His gaze moved up and froze, his heart thumping in his ears. The shirt she was wearing had ridden up, a small bit of white lace peeking out at him. A hot pulse shot through him and down to his groin.

He knew he could locate the magazine that he had thrown away and look through it to see gorgeous women with or without clothes, their bodies enhanced with plastic surgery and silicone, in provocative poses that every teenage boy fantasized about. That one small glimpse of lace shouldn't be enough to make his temperature rise or make his mouth go dry. He leaned back in the seat and ran his hands through his hair, feeling a massive headache coming on. Maybe he was working too hard. He could probably hire a prostitute like other CEOs would, but then Takeuchi would chew his ass out. To hell with it! If he wanted to get a whore, he was damn well going to get one. He looked back at the slender body curled up in the bed, his eyes going right back to the lace at the curve of her hip. Almost as if she sensed his gaze, she tugged the shirt down and covered her panties.

He gritted his teeth and shut the camera off as well as the microphones and wire. This wasn't happening to him! Why was she affecting him like this!? With a growl, Kaiba shot up from the seat and threw open the door, slamming it behind him. To hell with it! He would deal with her in the morning.


	4. The Heat

_**I apologize for any inconvenience with my stories. I am working hard and now with possible marriage in the horizon for me...yeeeeah. I would say a disclaimer, but since this site is called , it kinda says that I'm not the one who created the genre I'm writing about, so yeah!**_

* * *

Iphigenia awoke the next morning to soft sunlight filtering into the room, stretching languidly and yawning widely. She buried her face into her pillow, hoping to get another hour of sleep, but she remembered just where she was and what was happening.

She was on Earth, in Domino City, in Seto Kaiba's house. A quick look at the digital clock on the bedside table read May 18, 1997 and the time was 8:14 AM. She had died June 26 of 1996, so it had been almost a year. She jumped to her feet and walked to the window, feeling a pang of guilt within her at the thought of being such a burden on Kaiba. After all, he had been generous enough to let her stay in his home until the results came back. Iphigenia found herself desperately hoping for them to come back soon so that she could go home to her loving grandfather and brother. She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself tightly, wishing to be anywhere but here. The sound of the door opening went unnoticed by her until the soft notes of Noriaki Sugiyama's "Melody" began to play. A smile tugged at her lips as she turned and saw Mokuba standing there holding a small portable stereo with a big smile on his face.

"I never forgot that this was your favorite song, Iphi. I listened to it a lot when you died and cried because I thought about you," he admitted, studying his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Iphigenia's soft laugh reached his ears as she made her way to him and drew him into the cradle of her arms, setting the stereo on the ground and hugging her back.

"I understand how you must have felt Mokie, but there was nothing you could have done. The good thing is that I'm back and I'll always be here for you," she said, but once those words left her, she regretted saying them. She didn't want to implant false hope into Mokuba when there was a chance that she would have to go back to heaven after her mission was completed, but she couldn't take her words back now. Seeing the bright smile that lit up the child's face, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. _'At least I've made him happy…' _

"So do you want to spend the day with me? Seto left for KaibaCorp at five and he won't be back til late tonight, so we have the whole day to ourselves."

Thankful that her first day back on Earth would be spent with such a sweet boy, Iphigenia smiled down at him and nodded. "I'll take you to the park today and we can get some ice cream." Mokuba whooped and ran out of the room to change out of his pajamas, leaving the stereo on the floor. "Melody" had ended and now Flow's "Sign" was playing. The song gave her a sense of sadness…this exact song had been playing on her walkman when she had been hit by that car. A feeling of nostalgia surged through her, but she quickly crushed it, not wanting anything to ruin this special day with Mokuba. Nothing would keep her from making that child's day one of the best in his life, not even the big burly guard who decided to accompany them to their destination.

* * *

Kaiba's boots made his steps heavier than they really sounded, so everyone within twenty feet of him knew he was coming. Even though it was Sunday, many of the KaibaCorp employees were there working as if it were a normal weekday. Kaiba had them working every day with hardly a day off and he would only accept the most ambitious candidates for his company, but not too ambitious. He didn't want them overthrowing him like he did Gozaburo.

Takeuchi walked briskly beside him, shuffling through various files. "The press are hounding us for some answers about Miss Motou. The tabloids are requesting exclusive interviews as well as the newspapers. What should I tell them?"

"Tell them to go fuck themselves sideways with a pole," Kaiba snarled, his irritation evident. Takeuchi faltered a bit in his walk, staring at Kaiba's back with disbelief.

"I have to say that I've never seen you like this before, Seto. First you hold that stupid magic competition and now this? Normally you'd answer a few questions of theirs before storming up to your throne. There's something more going on, isn't there?"

Kaiba stepped through the doors of his office after barking at the secretary that he was not to be disturbed for anything and slammed them shut with Takeuchi following close behind him. He made his way to his desk and sank down into the plush leather chair, giving Takeuchi a particularly venomous glare. The older man smirked though, seeing right through the young CEO.

"There _is _something going on, isn't there!? You're afraid to admit that she may actually be Iphigenia Motou because then everything that you've built up will come crashing down!"

"Wrong. Unless I have solid proof, I don't see any reason to let those bloodsuckers know anything because if I do, they will rip us apart. You know how ravenous the press can be, Takeuchi. Remember when that woman tried to file a paternity suit against me a few months ago? The bloodsuckers were all over that like flies on shit." Kaiba smirked at the memory of that pathetic woman who had tried to weasel him out of a few million dollars. Takeuchi scrubbed a hand over his face, sighing heavily.

"It amazes me what some people will do to get money. Just because you shook her hand over a business deal doesn't mean you two ripped each other's clothes off and fucked like dogs. The woman was thirty-six years old! Even I could see what utter bullshit it was, but the media doesn't care. They report about the most pointless things other than events that _need _to be reported. Nowadays, it's all about sex, money and scandal."

Kaiba snorted, turning his chair so that it faced the window. The whole of Domino was visible to him, even the game shop that Yugi and his grandfather owned. It was times like this when he felt like he was a king ruling over his kingdom and the people below were his lowly subjects. Typical of a highly successful business tycoon.

"So what are your plans for your little guest? Are you going to keep her prisoner in that mansion like some princess in a medieval romance?"

Kaiba tapped his pen against his knee, keeping the back of his chair to Takeuchi. "She can leave when those results come back, but until then she is staying there. It wouldn't do to send her out now when those dogs down there will rip her to shreds. She is safe under my protection for now."

"Is it so hard to believe that she is actually her, Seto? I've examined many photos of Iphigenia and she matches her in every aspect. Maybe you really should give her the benefit of the doubt. It wouldn't hurt to actually trust someone once in a while, you know…" Kaiba hated that condescending tone in his friend's voice, but he knew that he was probably right no matter how much he wished he wasn't. "What about Gerard? I know that you assigned him to her to make sure that she doesn't do anything suspicious, but how do you think she would feel knowing that a six foot-eight Scotsman armed with a Smith and Wesson 9mm is following her every step? For God's sake, the poor girl fell from the _sky_ yesterday and you're treating her like a high security prisoner in jail! I know I'd be scared for my life if I were in her position! Just loosen up a little Seto, maybe drink a little or hire a prostitute." At that, Kaiba gave him a bemused look. Takeuchi had never suggested that he hire a prostitute when he was stressed. Takeuchi himself was a single man with one son from a previous dalliance, but he never went as far as to hire a prostitute now because his son was the result of a one-night stand with a prostitute and that was one mistake that Takeuchi did not want to repeat. Takeuchi was probably desperate in getting Kaiba to relax. The young CEO rose from his chair, walking past Takeuchi and making his way out of his office to the boardroom for his meeting with the board of directors. He knew that he probably looked like shit after his restless night, but for once he just didn't care. Seeing Iphigenia during her most vulnerable moments had left him in a state of frustration that no prostitute had been able to instill in him. The sight of her beautiful long legs had aroused him greatly and he had spent that night in his bed violently jerking himself off to that small amount of skin, moaning her name as he came. Kaiba shook his head as his penis began to respond to his lustful thoughts, not wanting to appear before the board of directors with an erection.

He threw the doors to the boardroom open with a bang, startling the small group of people that were sitting in the chairs around the table. Solemn gazes were fixed upon him before they quickly shot down to the table before them, the eight bodies in there wishing fervently to be anywhere but there.

"Good morning everyone," Kaiba said smoothly, lowering himself into the chair at the head of the table with elegance, Takeuchi plopping down into the seat at the right of him. A secretary brought the CEO a steaming cup of coffee and promptly left, leaving the board of directors to their meeting. "I trust you have the results necessary to prove that this woman is a fraud?" He reached for his coffee mug and brought it to his lips, taking a generous swallow of the bitter liquid.

Everyone at the table froze, no one wanting to meet the eyes of their boss. A few moments of silence passed before one board member was brave enough to speak up, a thirty-five year old man by the name of Jiro Nikushimi.

"W-well sir, we have the results of the DNA test back and our scientists confirm that the woman is in fact Iphigenia Motou."

Kaiba's hand turned white as he gripped the coffee mug tightly. His teeth clenched hard almost to the point that he was sure they would crack. Surely she couldn't be her! There was just no possible way! Nikushimi continued, his voice wavering slightly.

"We also had the body dug up and tested its DNA as well…but this is the most confusing thing, sir. Both sets of DNA match perfectly…and there is no confirmation that Iphigenia Motou has a twin. Her grandfather was present for her birth and he said that she was the only one. The doctor who had delivered her also confirmed that there was no twin and there are no documents that say otherwise."

"A clone perhaps?" Kaiba pressed, feeling his face become hot.

Nikushimi shook his head, his nervousness beginning to get the best of him. "Well…sir, there's just no way that she could have been cloned. Technology hasn't come that far. It's possible that…perhaps…supernatural forces are at work here." Now Nikushimi wasn't a strong believer of a higher power, but this phenomena completely baffled him. If this woman was really her and the corpse was her…could she have been resurrected by another power?

Kaiba bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, the coppery liquid assaulting his senses. He was stumped to say the least. The only question he could think of passed through his lips. "Did the ground look like it had been disturbed recently at her grave?" He figured that Nikushimi would say no because that was exactly what the man said. There was only one option left. "I want to see the body."

* * *

Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream had never tasted as good as it did now, Iphigenia thought as she watched Mokuba play on the swings. The big guard that stood behind the bench she sat on -Gerard, she learned- had introduced himself to her with a kiss on the hand and a warm Scottish accent, making the young goddess blush lightly. He had a light beard that covered his cheeks, chin and upper lip, giving him a distinguished, yet rugged look. He was a quiet man though and did nothing more than stand behind her with his hands clasped behind his back. It unnerved her a bit, but she knew he was only there for hers and Mokuba's safety. _'And probably to make sure I don't try to make a run for it…'_

Her attention was distracted when she watched an elderly couple walking on the path through the park, the woman's arm wrapped around the man's. She watched with a small smile on her lips as the man bent down and placed a kiss on his wife's cheek, the lady blushing like she was a teenager all over again. It was times like this when Iphigenia really appreciated being back on Earth, seeing the good people in the world smile and bring joy to others around them. At the same time it also made her sad that even though she could experience the same joy that these people felt, it wouldn't last with her more than likely.

"Iphigenia, watch this!" Mokuba yelled as he swung high into the air and then jumped from the swing, landing on the ground with his knees bent.

"That's amazing Mokuba, but don't jump from that height again! You could seriously hurt yourself and then your brother will kill me!" she scolded, walking over to him and placing her hands on her hips with a small frown. The younger Kaiba chuckled, a bashful look on his face. "You're starting to sound exactly like you did back then, always scolding me whenever I would do something reckless."

"That's because I care about what happens to you. I realize your brother wants to keep you safe and I do as well, but if you don't experience the world outside of KaibaCorp and your home, then you are going to have a childhood much like your brother's. He had to grow up quickly in order to care for you and that cost him his childhood…and your childhood years make you into who you are as an adolescent and then as an adult. Take me for example, I've been through many things in my lifetime. The deaths of my parents, my grandpa's near death from a heart attack…I had to take care of Yugi many times, but it didn't stop me from living life. And when that accident took my life…" She stopped for a moment as a feeling of sadness welled up in her. "I'm sorry Mokuba, I don't want to talk about it. Another time, okay?" Mokuba nodded sadly, throwing his arms around Iphigenia's waist and hugging her tightly.

"No matter what happens Iphigenia, you'll always have Seto and I," he said into her dress, his voice muffled slightly.

'_I wish I could be sure of that Mokuba…'_

"Little missy?" Gerard's deep voice came from behind her. She turned her head slightly so that she could see him, his black sunglasses hiding his eyes from her. "Mr. Kaiba wants you and his brother back at the mansion immediately. It seems that he is on his way back and wants to speak with you as soon as he gets home." He grimaced, holding his hand to his head. "And he's not particularly happy…"

Iphigenia and Mokuba straightened, trepidation in Iphigenia's eyes while worry settled in Mokuba's features. "What're we going to do if Seto tries to kick you out? I don't want you to leave!" Mokuba wailed, holding onto her arm with a death grip. Iphigenia could only bite her lip.

'_Hopefully God will make this work…I can only pray that he will…'_

* * *

Kaiba was sitting in his limo, still in shock. After Nikushimi had shown him the somewhat preserved body of Iphigenia Motou, everything he had built up was now crumbling to the ground. If her story was true, then she wouldn't mind giving a demonstration of her holy magic. If she was able to do that, then he would walk up to Yugi Motou and tell him he was right about everythin- Kaiba shook his head violently. There was no way in hell he was going to admit Yugi was right! He would rather gargle liquid nitrogen than admit that!

The limo stopped in front of the mansion and he stepped out when the door was opened, noticing that the doors to the mansion were open. Mokuba and Iphigenia -now he could call her that- were standing there, his little brother waving wildly at him and Iphigenia just standing there clothed in a knee-length sleeveless white summer dress. Even from his position, he could see that she looked a little sad and for one moment there was nothing he wanted more than to hold her in his arms and protect her from the evil in this world. If she truly was a goddess…could it be possible that even a holy deity like her could love someone as evil as him? He shook his head once more, disgusted by the thoughts running through his mind as he made his way up to them. When he was standing before them, he glared down at the petite woman before him. She simply stared him down with her matching blue eyes, neither giving in to the other. Finally he huffed and grabbed her roughly by the wrist, dragging her into the house and up the stairs to his room, ignoring her yells and the fingers trying to claw his hand from her wrist. He could hear Mokuba yelling to her from the entrance hall, but he didn't try to make out what he was saying as he threw open the door to his room and shoved her in, slamming the door behind him and locking it.

Iphigenia glared up at him from her position on the floor, her blue eyes dancing with flames. He smirked inwardly; defiant to the end, much like she had been when she was mortal. The sound of someone clearing their throat distracted both adults as they turned to the sound, seeing Takeuchi sitting in the chair at the glass table. "Now you are both here, let's end the little lovers' quarrel and focus on the matter at hand."

Both Kaiba and Iphigenia continued to glare each other down as they made their way to respective seats; Kaiba sitting in a chaise chair and Iphigenia on the bed. Takeuchi could feel the tension in the room and chuckled inwardly -they looked like a married couple arguing over a petty matter.

"Anyway…let's start. Miss Motou, we have the results back from our scientists and I'm afraid to say this…your DNA does match that of Iphigenia Motou, but the corpse we had dug up also matches that of Iphigenia Motou." A soft sigh escaped her lips, catching Kaiba's attention.

"Sir, if it's too much to ask, I just want to go home," she said, twisting her hands together. "I just want to see my brother."

"You'll see him soon enough my dear. Just be patient," Takeuchi said, giving her a comforting smile. "Now the press have been up our ass about you, but Seto is loath to hand you over to them. He wants to keep you here for at least a week or two before letting you go home."

"A week or two!? Why that long!?" she cried, her eyes becoming misty. Kaiba snorted at her obvious weakness and turned his head away, looking at the wall.

"If we wait that long, the press will back off and search for the next piece of juicy scandal or gossip. I'm sure a story about a girl who was believed dead would not last as long as the next political or sexual scandal," the older man explained, casting a glance over at Kaiba, who continued to look at the wall. "There's only one last thing we want from you."

Iphigenia narrowed her eyes at him, giving her a somewhat sinister look. "And what would that be, good sir?"

Takeuchi shifted nervously, looking to Kaiba once again for reassurance, but the CEO was stubbornly looking away still. "We…need a demonstration of your magic in order to wholeheartedly believe you. We'll believe that you are who you are, but as soon as you give us that demonstration, we will still be leery of you."

Iphigenia knew that there was no arguing with what was said, so she laid back on the bed and sighed heavily. "Alright…but I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until I can unlock more of my magic. Before I was sent down here, my Lord God gave me these earrings." She sat up and moved her hair aside so that the two men could see the golden earrings. "The left one has clamps on my upper ear which keeps my magic in check while the right one can transform into our holy staff. My Lord God informed me that I must keep my magic reined because if mortals were to learn that there was a goddess among them, they might try to use me for their own selfish desires."

"You mentioned that the right one can transform into a staff, correct?" Takeuchi inquired, the girl nodding her head. "Can you do that for us now?"

Kaiba tore his gaze from the wall as Iphigenia reached for the piece of jewelry hanging from her ear, taking it from the cartilage and holding it before her. Her eyes flashed briefly before the earring twinkled and began transforming into a long golden staff topped with a circle. In the middle of the circle was a large sapphire held in place by golden lion claws. Three thin golden rods stuck out from the top and hanging from them were tags with inscriptions on them. Carved into the body of the staff were intricate symbols winding up and down the length. A soft golden light seemed to emanate from the girl and the weapon she held in her hand, stunning the two men sitting before her. After a moment Takeuchi threw the papers he was holding into the air, stood up and walked to the door.

"Fuck this, I believe her. You should too, Seto," he called out as he opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him and leaving the two in the room. Iphigenia turned the staff back into its original form and placed the earring back in her ear before sinking back into the bed, throwing an arm over her eyes. The room was silent for a few minutes until Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger before looking at her.

"Well now, you have all my subordinates believing your fantastic little story, but I won't be so trusting. Believe me when I say this: I will tear you apart at the tiniest slip up!"

"Go ahead…" she murmured, her voice soft as she moved her arm away from her eyes, tears filling them. "You're already keeping me away from my loved ones, so go ahead. Tear apart what little is left of me and make yourself feel better."

His blue eyes widened at her submissiveness. A strong surge of power rushed through his body and he couldn't help what he did next. He leapt from his chair and threw himself at the reclining goddess, pinning her down into the mattress with his hands and knees.

"Kaiba! What're you doing!?" she yelled, her cheeks turning pink from their position. She tried to say something else, but his hand gripped her throat, squeezing gently. Iphigenia struggled against him, trying to break free of his grip but he held her too tightly. He lowered his head next to hers, his lips brushing against her ear and making her shudder.

"Why is it that God is punishing me with you? Had he known how I felt back then, he wouldn't have dropped you out of the sky and into my arms. It tore me up when you died and now it's killing me that you're alive once again. Now I can finally act on those feelings!" With that Kaiba lifted his head and crushed his lips to hers, forcing his tongue into her mouth.

Iphigenia's brows knotted together. Why was Kaiba acting like he hated her one moment and then kissing her the next? It scared her greatly, causing her to push against his chest to get him off her. When that didn't work, she gathered her energy and forced it into her hands, pressing them against his chest. The force of it threw him back into the wall and Iphigenia sat up quickly, muttering a spell to teleport her out of there. The last thing she saw was Kaiba's shocked expression and his angry yell before he disappeared in a whirlwind of feathers, the surroundings changing from his room to the park that she and Mokuba had gone to earlier. The late afternoon sun was about two hours from setting which made the time around 4 PM.

Iphigenia ran her hands through her long locks and breathed deeply, the scent of lilacs and grass reaching her nose. Her mind went back to Kaiba and what he had done to her in the bedroom. If she hadn't done what she did, there was a very good chance that he might have forced himself on her. She honestly didn't know what to think of the elder Kaiba now. She had thought him a cold and selfish prick, but after what Takeuchi had told her about her melting Kaiba's shield of ice, she had nearly been incinerated by his hard hungry heat. The good thing was that she was away from him now and she was free! She made her way to the Kame Game shop, a smile on her lips.

Now she could begin her mission without any obstacles, namely a cold CEO with an ego the size of the universe.


End file.
